By: Rachel Andrews
In addition to wedding and baby showers, the LBC shower team is adding a new kind of celebration to the rotation—housewarming showers! These will be available for single members of LBC—click here for more information. Of course, it’s important to articulate why changes are necessary and how they will benefit our “One Family” on our “One Mission.” Below are three reasons I believe housewarmings are a necessary addition to our church.
Celebrating the milestones of single church members reflects our belief that singlehood and marriage are both good and useful for serving the Kingdom. Our single brothers and sisters are not waiting around for a spouse so that they can begin to serve God. Indeed, Paul points out in 1 Corinthians 7:32-35 that single believers are uniquely able to serve God precisely because of their singleness. The single status of some of our members is a good gift from God, and they can use that gift to love God and others well.
Although single members can often be unintentionally left out or overlooked, they continue to faithfully serve the church. They love the body in myriad ways—welcoming churchgoers, bringing meals, hosting families, babysitting kids, praying, teaching, giving. Their singleness brings something valuable and precious to our local body. They bless Liberty Baptist Church not in spite of their single status but precisely because of it. We would be missing beautiful friendships, wise counsel, and unique perspectives without them. The big events in their lives are worthy of celebration!
Adding housewarmings to the shower rotation will help meet felt needs in our local body. We have covenanted with each other to “exercise an affectionate care” for one another and to “bear one another’s burdens.” When a person gets married and moves in with their new spouse, they need things. One of the main ways these needs are met is with a wedding shower. When a single person moves into a new home… they need things, too! What a privilege to help a brother or sister in this particular time! Meeting needs is a blessing. Housewarming showers will be another avenue through which our local body can receive that blessing.
Housewarmings will help us better equip our brothers and sisters to show hospitality, evangelize, and disciple in practical ways. Several months ago, Taylor Cain wrote an excellent article on the value and necessity of showing hospitality. While I do believe that anyone can show hospitality, it’s also true that it’s much easier to show hospitality when you have certain items on hand. Like plates. And saltshakers. And hand towels. Every gift we give in a wedding shower or housewarming is a tool that that member can use to show hospitality. Yes, hospitality and discipleship can take place in any environment, but it’s also true that certain environments are much more conducive to these practices. In a very practical way, we can encourage our brothers and sisters to cultivate hearts rich in hospitality, willing in discipleship, and ready in evangelism.
We believe singlehood and marriage are equally good. We believe in meeting felt needs. We believe in practically equipping our members to show hospitality, evangelize, and disciple others. Giving our single members housewarming showers is a practical way to put these beliefs into action. So… who’s ready to party?